Transmission mechanism.



No. 849,949. PATENTED APR. 9, 1997. G. A. WEAVER.

TRANSMISSION MBCHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 1e, 190e.

BY W f Mr@ ATTORNEYS -with the engines or motors.

GEORGE A. WEAVER, OF NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND.

rRANsMlssuoN MEcHANlswl.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented April 9, 1907.

Application led February 16, 1906. Serial No. 301,368.

To a/ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. WEAVER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Ne ort, in the county of Newport and State of R odeIsland, have invented a new and Improved Transmission Mechanism, ofwhich the following isa full, clear, and exact descri tion.

iv y invention relates to a transmission mechanism ca able of many uses,but especially adapte for application to automobiles.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide means whereby twoengines can be coupled up, so as to simultaneously transmit power atvarying rates of speed to a driven shaft, to provide for driving a shaftand the other engine or motor by one of the engines or motors in case ofbreakage, to provide an efficient means for transmitting the power whenthe speed is to be varied, and to generally simplify and improveconstructions of this character.

Reference is to behad to the'accompanying drawing, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in the figure.

The figure is a longitudinal central sectional view of a transmittingmechanism constructed in accordance with the principle of my invention.

I have shown a pair of engine or motor shafts 10, each having a crank11, connected preferably driven in opposite directions in order toprovide certain conveniences in construction, as will appear below. Eachshaft is provided with a gear 12, preferably beveled, for transmittingpower to a gear 13, ro tatably mounted on a driven member in the form ofa shaft 14.

It will be observed 'that through the two gears 12, driven in oppositedirections, the gear 13 will be rotated by both the motors, and whenmeans is provided for transmittingr the rotation ofthe gear 13 to theshaft 14 the automobile or other device will be driven by both motors atthe same time. s

In order to provide for connecting the driving members 10 with thedriven member 14 I have shown a plate 15, mounted on each of thedriving-shafts and keyed thereto. A series of s rings normally forcethis plate rearwardly ii" erated by a lever 18, is provided for forcingthis plate toward the gear against the oppo- The shafts are om the gear12, wnilea cam 17, op

sition of the springs. On the plate is mounted a skeleton frame 19,which carries a circular plate 20. rThis plate may be provided with acorrugated or roughened surface, against which bears a pneumatic tire 21on a wheel 22. This wheel is provided with a keyway and slides on theshaft 14, which has a key 23 through the keyway in the wheel, so thatthe motion of rotation of the wheel will be transmitted t0 the shaft.

It will be obvious that by manipulating a lever 24, connected with acollar 25 on the wheel, the wheel can be moved outwardly and inwardly,so that motionv will be transmitted to the shaft 14 at any desired rateof speed. The wheel can also be moved past the open centers 26 of theplates 20, when it will engage the lower sides of said plates, andmotion will be transmitted to the shaft 14 in the opposite direction,the slower motion being provided when the tire is near the openings 26.i

In order to get the most rapid motion, the wheel 22 is provided with aprojection 27, fitting a cup 28 in the gear 13, the two elements 27 and28 constituting a clutch, and when the wheel is moved out of contactwith the outer edges of the surfaces of the plates 2() and the parts 27and 28 come into engagement the rotation of the wheel 13 will betransmitted directly to the shaft 14, with which the wheel 22 is held inengagement by the key.

It will be understood that the levers 18 and 24 may be operatedsimultaneously when connected together and that the manner of operatingthese levers is not material. By

the use of the pneumatic tire 21 in this connection the surfaces of theplates 20 may be corrugated or roughened, so as to prevent slipping atthis point, and the transmission of power from the driving members 10 tothe driven member 14 will be certain and eflicient. The wheels 12 areprovided with heavy rims 29, constituting iiy-wheels for the device.

It will be understood', of course, that when one of the motors isdisabled the other can be used to drive the whole system, including thedisabled motor, and that the various speeds in both directions areprovided for in such a manner that sudden changes from one speed toanother are not necessary, the transitions being gradual. As theskeleton frame 19 passes through openings 30 in the webs of the gear 12the rotation of the gear would be IOO ITO

transmitted to the plate\ even if it were not connected with theshaft",\ as is the gear 12.

The lgear 13 acts as an equalizer between the two power-shafts anddriving-plates as long as cach one gives power and acts as a drivingmedium to the shaft 14 only when the wheel 22 \s interloeked with thegear 13 by means of. the clutch after the tire 21 has passed beyond theedges of the plates 1Z0. The power applied by the two shafts and platescontrols the wheel 22 from two opposite sides through friction on thetwo plates, thus dividing the friction and doing away with anyresistance due to this friction on the shaft-box.

Having thus described my invention, I elaim- 1. A transmitting mechanismcomprising alined driving-shafts spaced apart from each other,bevel-gears of equal size on the adjacent ends of the driving-shafts, adriven shaft between the alined shafts and at right angles thereto, abevel-gear loosely mounted on said driven shaft and meshing with thebevelgears on the alined shafts and provided with a clutch -face, africtionwheel slidably mounted on the driven shaft and provided with 4aclutch-face cooperating with the clutch-face of the bevel-gear,friction-disks slidably mounted on the driving-shafts and keyed thereto,said disks engaging the periphery of the friction-wheel, and means formoving the friction-disks toward and from the friction-wheel.

2. A transmitting mechanism comprising alined driving-shafts spacedapart from each other,1 bevel-gears of equal size on the adjacent endsof the driving-shafts, a driven shaft between the alined shafts and atright angles thereto, a bevel-gear loosely mounted on said driven shaftand meshing with the bevel-gears on the alined shafts and provided witha clutch-face, a friction-wheel having a pneumatic tire slidably mountedon the driven shaft and provided with a clutch-face cooperating with theclutch-face of the bevelgear, friction-disks slidably mounted on thedriving-shafts and keyed-thereto, said disks engaging the periphery ofthe friction-wheel, and means for moving the friction-disks toward andfrom the friction-wheel.

3. A' transmitting mechanism comprising a plurality of driving-shafts, adriven shaft, means in connection with the driving-shafts and the drivenshaft for equalizing the movements of the driving-shafts, afriction-wheel keyed to the driven shaft and movable longitudinallythereof, friction-disks on the driving-shafts engaged by thefriction-wheel, and means for moving the friction-wheel whereby to varythe point of engagement with the disks.

4. A transmitting mechanism comprising a plurality of driving-shafts, adriven shaft, means in connection with the shafts for equalizing themovements of the drivingshafts, and avaliable-speed connection betweenthe driving-shafts and the driven shaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence, of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE A. WEAVER.

Witnesses:

SYDNEY D. HARVEY, CHARLES E. HARVEY.

